Chinese Zodiac Calculator: Find Your Animal and Element

Enter your birth date. It is checked against the exact date of Chinese New Year in your birth year, so a January or February birthday gets the right animal.

How this is worked out

Your animal is decided by Chinese New Year, not by 1 January, so the calculator needs the exact day the year turned. Those days are stored as a table of every New Year from 1899 to 2101. The two hundred from 1901 to 2100 are copied from the Hong Kong Observatory’s Gregorian–lunar conversion tables, and the three outside them come from the ICU calendar: the year turns at an instant that has to be right to the minute, and numbers that can be checked by eye are safer than an astronomy routine that cannot. Calendars built on the ICU library approximate the new moon instead. Across the Observatory’s two hundred years they agree on 197 and land a day off in 1954, 2027 and 2030 — which changes the answer for one birthday in each of those three years and for nobody else.

The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac

The five elements

Each element covers two years in a row, so a pair like the Wood Dragon comes back every 60 years.

  • Wood4, 5growth, generosity, long plans
  • Fire6, 7energy, passion, quick decisions
  • Earth8, 9stability, loyalty, practical care
  • Metal0, 1discipline, clear rules, resolve
  • Water2, 3intuition, diplomacy, adaptability

Chinese zodiac years, 1924 to 2043

Every Chinese year with its animal, element and dates. Tap a decade to open it.

1924–1929
YearSignDates
1924Wood Rat5 February 1924 – 23 January 1925
1925Wood Ox24 January 1925 – 12 February 1926
1926Fire Tiger13 February 1926 – 1 February 1927
1927Fire Rabbit2 February 1927 – 22 January 1928
1928Earth Dragon23 January 1928 – 9 February 1929
1929Earth Snake10 February 1929 – 29 January 1930
1930–1939
YearSignDates
1930Metal Horse30 January 1930 – 16 February 1931
1931Metal Goat17 February 1931 – 5 February 1932
1932Water Monkey6 February 1932 – 25 January 1933
1933Water Rooster26 January 1933 – 13 February 1934
1934Wood Dog14 February 1934 – 3 February 1935
1935Wood Pig4 February 1935 – 23 January 1936
1936Fire Rat24 January 1936 – 10 February 1937
1937Fire Ox11 February 1937 – 30 January 1938
1938Earth Tiger31 January 1938 – 18 February 1939
1939Earth Rabbit19 February 1939 – 7 February 1940
1940–1949
YearSignDates
1940Metal Dragon8 February 1940 – 26 January 1941
1941Metal Snake27 January 1941 – 14 February 1942
1942Water Horse15 February 1942 – 4 February 1943
1943Water Goat5 February 1943 – 24 January 1944
1944Wood Monkey25 January 1944 – 12 February 1945
1945Wood Rooster13 February 1945 – 1 February 1946
1946Fire Dog2 February 1946 – 21 January 1947
1947Fire Pig22 January 1947 – 9 February 1948
1948Earth Rat10 February 1948 – 28 January 1949
1949Earth Ox29 January 1949 – 16 February 1950
1950–1959
YearSignDates
1950Metal Tiger17 February 1950 – 5 February 1951
1951Metal Rabbit6 February 1951 – 26 January 1952
1952Water Dragon27 January 1952 – 13 February 1953
1953Water Snake14 February 1953 – 2 February 1954
1954Wood Horse3 February 1954 – 23 January 1955
1955Wood Goat24 January 1955 – 11 February 1956
1956Fire Monkey12 February 1956 – 30 January 1957
1957Fire Rooster31 January 1957 – 17 February 1958
1958Earth Dog18 February 1958 – 7 February 1959
1959Earth Pig8 February 1959 – 27 January 1960
1960–1969
YearSignDates
1960Metal Rat28 January 1960 – 14 February 1961
1961Metal Ox15 February 1961 – 4 February 1962
1962Water Tiger5 February 1962 – 24 January 1963
1963Water Rabbit25 January 1963 – 12 February 1964
1964Wood Dragon13 February 1964 – 1 February 1965
1965Wood Snake2 February 1965 – 20 January 1966
1966Fire Horse21 January 1966 – 8 February 1967
1967Fire Goat9 February 1967 – 29 January 1968
1968Earth Monkey30 January 1968 – 16 February 1969
1969Earth Rooster17 February 1969 – 5 February 1970
1970–1979
YearSignDates
1970Metal Dog6 February 1970 – 26 January 1971
1971Metal Pig27 January 1971 – 14 February 1972
1972Water Rat15 February 1972 – 2 February 1973
1973Water Ox3 February 1973 – 22 January 1974
1974Wood Tiger23 January 1974 – 10 February 1975
1975Wood Rabbit11 February 1975 – 30 January 1976
1976Fire Dragon31 January 1976 – 17 February 1977
1977Fire Snake18 February 1977 – 6 February 1978
1978Earth Horse7 February 1978 – 27 January 1979
1979Earth Goat28 January 1979 – 15 February 1980
1980–1989
YearSignDates
1980Metal Monkey16 February 1980 – 4 February 1981
1981Metal Rooster5 February 1981 – 24 January 1982
1982Water Dog25 January 1982 – 12 February 1983
1983Water Pig13 February 1983 – 1 February 1984
1984Wood Rat2 February 1984 – 19 February 1985
1985Wood Ox20 February 1985 – 8 February 1986
1986Fire Tiger9 February 1986 – 28 January 1987
1987Fire Rabbit29 January 1987 – 16 February 1988
1988Earth Dragon17 February 1988 – 5 February 1989
1989Earth Snake6 February 1989 – 26 January 1990
1990–1999
YearSignDates
1990Metal Horse27 January 1990 – 14 February 1991
1991Metal Goat15 February 1991 – 3 February 1992
1992Water Monkey4 February 1992 – 22 January 1993
1993Water Rooster23 January 1993 – 9 February 1994
1994Wood Dog10 February 1994 – 30 January 1995
1995Wood Pig31 January 1995 – 18 February 1996
1996Fire Rat19 February 1996 – 6 February 1997
1997Fire Ox7 February 1997 – 27 January 1998
1998Earth Tiger28 January 1998 – 15 February 1999
1999Earth Rabbit16 February 1999 – 4 February 2000
2000–2009
YearSignDates
2000Metal Dragon5 February 2000 – 23 January 2001
2001Metal Snake24 January 2001 – 11 February 2002
2002Water Horse12 February 2002 – 31 January 2003
2003Water Goat1 February 2003 – 21 January 2004
2004Wood Monkey22 January 2004 – 8 February 2005
2005Wood Rooster9 February 2005 – 28 January 2006
2006Fire Dog29 January 2006 – 17 February 2007
2007Fire Pig18 February 2007 – 6 February 2008
2008Earth Rat7 February 2008 – 25 January 2009
2009Earth Ox26 January 2009 – 13 February 2010
2010–2019
YearSignDates
2010Metal Tiger14 February 2010 – 2 February 2011
2011Metal Rabbit3 February 2011 – 22 January 2012
2012Water Dragon23 January 2012 – 9 February 2013
2013Water Snake10 February 2013 – 30 January 2014
2014Wood Horse31 January 2014 – 18 February 2015
2015Wood Goat19 February 2015 – 7 February 2016
2016Fire Monkey8 February 2016 – 27 January 2017
2017Fire Rooster28 January 2017 – 15 February 2018
2018Earth Dog16 February 2018 – 4 February 2019
2019Earth Pig5 February 2019 – 24 January 2020
2020–2029
YearSignDates
2020Metal Rat25 January 2020 – 11 February 2021
2021Metal Ox12 February 2021 – 31 January 2022
2022Water Tiger1 February 2022 – 21 January 2023
2023Water Rabbit22 January 2023 – 9 February 2024
2024Wood Dragon10 February 2024 – 28 January 2025
2025Wood Snake29 January 2025 – 16 February 2026
2026Fire Horse17 February 2026 – 5 February 2027
2027Fire Goat6 February 2027 – 25 January 2028
2028Earth Monkey26 January 2028 – 12 February 2029
2029Earth Rooster13 February 2029 – 2 February 2030
2030–2039
YearSignDates
2030Metal Dog3 February 2030 – 22 January 2031
2031Metal Pig23 January 2031 – 10 February 2032
2032Water Rat11 February 2032 – 30 January 2033
2033Water Ox31 January 2033 – 18 February 2034
2034Wood Tiger19 February 2034 – 7 February 2035
2035Wood Rabbit8 February 2035 – 27 January 2036
2036Fire Dragon28 January 2036 – 14 February 2037
2037Fire Snake15 February 2037 – 3 February 2038
2038Earth Horse4 February 2038 – 23 January 2039
2039Earth Goat24 January 2039 – 11 February 2040
2040–2043
YearSignDates
2040Metal Monkey12 February 2040 – 31 January 2041
2041Metal Rooster1 February 2041 – 21 January 2042
2042Water Dog22 January 2042 – 9 February 2043
2043Water Pig10 February 2043 – 29 January 2044

Chinese zodiac calculator: questions

What is my Chinese zodiac sign and element?

Enter your birth date above. You get the animal and element of the Chinese year you were born in: Wood Dragon, for example, for anyone born between 10 February 2024 and 28 January 2025.

How is the Chinese zodiac sign calculated?

Compare your birthday with that year's Chinese New Year, which falls between 21 January and 20 February. If your birthday comes first, use the previous year. The animals repeat in a fixed order of 12 starting with the Rat (1996, 2008, 2020), and the last digit of the year gives the element: 0–1 Metal, 2–3 Water, 4–5 Wood, 6–7 Fire, 8–9 Earth. Even years are yang, odd years yin.

What Chinese zodiac am I if I was born in January or February?

It depends on the New Year date in your birth year. Someone born on 20 January 1984 is a Water Pig, not a Wood Rat: Chinese New Year 1984 came on 2 February, so the Rat year had not started.

Why do some calculators give a different animal?

Some take the Gregorian year and ignore Chinese New Year, which fails for January and early February birthdays. Four Pillars (BaZi) astrology starts the year at Li Chun instead, around 4 February. This calculator uses Chinese New Year, with dates from the Hong Kong Observatory’s calendar tables.

What is the Chinese zodiac animal for 2026 and 2027?

2026 is the year of the Fire Horse, from 17 February 2026 to 5 February 2027. 2027 is the year of the Fire Goat, from 6 February 2027 to 25 January 2028.

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